Family and Sexual Violence Work Programme Update

August 31, 2018 at 11:18 AM

From the Family and Sexual Violence Work Programme

30 August 2018

Consultation deadline extended: guidance on family violence information sharing

Nau mai, haere mai.

The deadline for submissions on the draft guidance for family violence information sharing has been extended by two weeks, to 21 September.

The guidance seeks to clarify and simplify the rules around information sharing. The Ministry of Justice wants to produce guidance that provides the family violence sector with certainty around when, how and why information can be shared under law. It needs to be understandable, easy to navigate quickly and workable for the day-to-day decisions made by people in the family violence sector. It should drive the right behaviours, building in consent, while facilitating more consistent information sharing practices that meet the needs of victims, families and whānau.

The guidance discusses legal requirements and best practice, to provide practitioners with certainty about what the law says. It will be accompanied by tools for the sector, such as templates.

We invite you to provide feedback on the draft at: https://www.justice.govt.nz/justice-sector-policy/have-your-say/

Submissions close on 21 September.

The guidance will be finalised and published to coincide with the entry-into-force of the new law.

 

Background

The Family and Whānau Violence Legislation Bill provides greater clarity about requirements for family violence information sharing. The changes will support agencies to develop more integrated, seamless responses to people affected by family and sexual violence. To give effect to these provisions, the Ministry of Justice has developed guidance for practitioners in ‘family violence agencies and social service practitioners’* as described in the Bill. The guidance reflects feedback received during consultations on Family Violence Law Reform and in submissions on the Bill.

*For the purposes of the Bill, ‘family violence agencies and social services practitioners’ include any non-governmental organisation that is funded by government to perform functions or provide services to protect, or otherwise help, victims of family violence; or help people to stop inflicting family violence. They also include: ACC, Corrections, Education, Health, Housing NZ, Immigration NZ, Justice, Police, Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry of Social Development, District Health Boards, social housing providers, early childhood educators, schools, social workers, and GPs.

If you have any questions or feedback, please email FVInformationsharing@justice.govt.nz



Category: Submissions